Seeds sown for drones

Wednesday

Kansas State demonstration helps to tout technology for use by farmers and ranchers.

By Amy Bickel - The Hutchinson News - abickel@hutchnews.com LINDSBORG - Kansas is considered the wheat and aviation capital of world, but Michael Toscano sees another future for Kansas industry.

He sees drones taking to the Kansas skies, providing an economic windfall in a state whose economy centers around agriculture. "My hope and belief is that you'll be known as the unmanned air capital of the world," the president of the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International said Tuesday afternoon. "I think that is something we should strive for." Sure, the word drone, as it is commonly called, conjures up negative connotations - a device used for military spying and attacking terrorists. Toscano, however, along with Sen. Jerry Moran and others, advocated for the use of the technology to monitor crops during a Kansas State demonstration - the institution being one of the only universities in the nation involved in the development of unmanned aircrafts. "It will pay huge dividends and stimulate the economy," Toscano said. Since 2008, K-State officials have been researching and developing unmanned aircraft, first as a tool after the 2007 Greensburg tornado, said Kurt Barnhart, professor and executive director of K-State's Applied Aviation Research Center. However, as studies continued, the potential for the technology in agriculture was evident, he said. Tiny unmanned aircraft is the latest in precision agriculture, following the likes of other 21st-century tools such as auto steer and irrigation scheduling. These fliers, he said, will revolutionize agriculture, helping farmers tighten their bottom line by reducing the need for pesticides and improving crop production. Farmers can buy unmanned aircraft presently and use the devices on their farms. Commercial use by crop consultants and others, however, won't happen until at least 2015 - when the Federal Aviation Administration is set to establish guidelines for using such aircraft. Once that happens, the industry is expected to generate more than 3,700 jobs in Kansas alone, according to a report by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. That's a $2.9 million economic impact, Toscano said. Today's agriculture managers can be more productive, said Gary Pierzynski, head of the college's agronomy department. Before, producers had two options, he said. They could walk the entire field or do spot-checking to identify crop problems. That could take hours, he said. "We can replace a lot of that with unmanned aircrafts," he said. "You can fly an irrigation circle in 10 minutes. You can fly a section of land in 20 minutes." The aircraft will allow farmers to map out their fields using infrared imagery to detect how the crop is growing. Areas pictured in green show a healthy crop, while darker, redder areas show plant stress, possibly from lower nitrogen in the soil or maybe pests. Instead of spraying the entire crop, farmers can pinpoint troubled areas and treat them accordingly. "We'll be able to identify and even diagnose problems from the air with a very simple system," Pierzynski said. "It's quite an exciting area, and I see Kansas State, in particular, as a world leader in this area." More and more colleges and universities are expanding into unmanned aircraft research. And, said Kevin Price, a K-State agronomy professor, the technology is being used beyond just farmers' fields. Kansas forestry professionals use unmanned aircraft systems to study red cedar infestations and their potential for renewable biofuel. The technology can help determine how much energy from cedars can be produced in a given area. Meanwhile, officials also can utilize the aircraft to look at developing green algae blooms in farm ponds as well as state reservoirs. But back on the farm, Price said producers also are seeing the positives of unmanned aircraft to photograph their pastoral landscapes, to count cattle and check pond levels instead of burning up fuel and time driving pastures. Feedlots could use them to see what cattle aren't eating as well as to monitor feed bunkers. "These are not spy devices," Price said. "Farmers are going to love these drones. In essence, it will make them better managers, better farmers. It will save them on chemicals and help them make more money." Moran, R-Kan., who spoke to the group Tuesday, said his last earmark, when earmarks were still possible, was allocating $3.5 million in 2010 to K-State's program, which, he says, will come back to the state through economic advancement of both the agriculture industry and future business growth. "We are the aviation capital of the world, and agriculture is so important to us that we are also the state that feeds the world. When we bring these two things together, we can do great things in economic growth, job creation and create opportunities Kansans did not have before. "And our agriculture producers will have a better chance for a profit," he said. But new technology could be taking flight sooner than later. Bret Chilcott, who operates AGEagle out of Neodesha, said his fledgling company should be selling unmanned aircrafts to farmers by next month. He has three employees at present, but as production gets going, he expects to increase to 20 in the next three months. A farmer will be able to buy the precision technology for under $7,000, he said. "We've been working with K-State for the past year," he said, adding that the technology he is developing will allow farmers to download imagery within 20 minutes. He's just one of many who will reap the benefit, Toscano said. "Today's flight demonstrations highlight one of the greatest potential applications for unmanned aircraft technology - saving farmers millions of dollars in time and resources," said Toscano. "Integrating UAS into the national airspace will lead to a host of new uses, and Kansas is well-positioned to reap the economic benefits that will accompany the expanded use of this technology."

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.